When you work to improve the lives of others, your life improves automatically. It has always been that way. The more people hear about others who have achieved meaning and success, the more likely they will be to believe that they can do so themselves.

Be perkier around the office? Talk about the people who have inspired you. Describe the situation, your action, and the results.

- This is the person who can kill idea generation in any meeting.

Just the word itself causes us to pause and think. We may remember our own personal heroes like Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa or a teacher or mentor who brought out the best in us and showed us the power of one person. I'm talking about the corporate posters with motivational sayings that are easy to spoof when the actions of management don't reflect the glossy images and quotations. In my experience, inspiration comes from example. As Albert Einstein said: Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing. So, that means we all have the power to inspire others by our actions. As project managers, you're in a prime position to inspire your team. Shooting for stars may work for you when you're developing your personal goals, but when you're inspiring a team, people need to be able to clearly see how they are going to get from point A to point B and believe that it's possible. Remember how good it felt when a teacher recognised your contribution? You glowed all day and nearly flew home. It costs nothing to tell people how they're doing. Recognising what they're doing well, and also giving ideas on how they can work even better, goes a long way. You may have played the game where you wear different hats to assume different roles. The black hat starts with the negatives and tells you everything that's going wrong. This is the person who can kill idea generation in any meeting. When you're inspiring a team, wear the blue hat. See the possibility and opportunity in every challenge. Begin with what is working and then build on it. One of the biggest myths in business is to focus on weaknesses instead of building strengths. It's a backward way to approach problem solving - like fitting the proverbial square peg into the round hole. It's faster and more effective to focus on the strengths of your team members and develop them. Not only will you see results faster, you'll also have a happier team because people are doing what they're good at and contributing at their highest level. How do you get your team to feel like rock stars? Think like Superman and clear any hurdles that are in their way. When you remove obstacles, you show your team that you've got their back. Nothing brings down a team like slackers. When people aren't pulling their weight, it lowers the standards of everyone and makes it seem like quality doesn't matter. When you remove people who aren't performing, it improves morale because it shows your team that you're serious about the best results. When you work with the team in the areas where you can contribute, you send a strong message because you are showing that you are part of the team with your actions. Many managers make the mistake of recognising people once a year. Recognition isn't a holiday. It should be a regular part of your team dynamic. Take the time every week to tell people how they've contributed to the team. If you're telling people to be accountable while not meeting your own deadlines, it doesn't take too long for the eyes to roll. Keep your team inspired by keeping your commitments to them and meeting every milestone. Don't make the mistake of doing project updates only at milestones. Communicate the progress of the project every week to make sure you're on track. And inside every one of these steps, add one key ingredient: Fun! Whether it's a quick team-building exercise during a milestone meeting or an inside joke that has come to define your team, give people every reason to laugh out loud and let the sound of laughter inspire your team to be the best they can be. Michelle LaBrosse PMP, is the founder and Chief Cheetah of. An international expert on accelerated learning and project management, she has grown into the market leader for project management training and professional development. In 2006, The Project Management Institute PMI selected Michelle as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the World, and only one of two women selected from the training and education industry. Cheetah Learning is a virtual company and has 100 employees, contractors, and licensees worldwide. PROJECT SMART is the project management resource that helps managers at all levels improve their performance. We provide an important knowledge base for those involved in managing projects of all kinds. With weekly exclusive updates, we keep you in touch with the latest project management thinking. WE ARE CONNECTED ~ Follow us on social media to get regular updates and opinion on what's happening in the world of project management.

This is the most fun step, because you can dream about success. The nature of the vision and mission is critical for enabling others to feel as if their work has a purpose and meaning beyond the tasks they perform each day. People want to do well and succeed, but what often stifles opportunity is process. This was the conclusion researchers came to after several experiments. We provide an important knowledge base for those civil in managing projects of all kinds. Ask about what the first step will be. Always go into things with good intentions and positive thoughts.